The Ledger

14.23 Caviar Emptor

In this rather bad episode (14.23) a family feud over a caviar business turns violent, and a various members of two Persian-Americans are suspects. Briscoe and Green investigate, and McCoy and Southerlyn prosecute. But what's the point.

The episode begins in a home where it's clear a wedding has just taken place. The patriarch of the family is found dead. The son wants an autopsy, but the new wife doesn't. Southerlyn has to go to a judge's house -- in the episode's opening moments -- to settle it. The judge allows the autopsy because the marriage papers haven't officially been filed yet (it's a weekend). The ME determines the case was a homicide. They talk to the new wife, who is a little antagonistic and snotty, and learn that she is the niece of the victim's chief competitor in the caviar business. The talk to this competitor, who says the victim's son, Ben, is too ambitious and was spreading the business too thin, so to speak. They conduct this interview at a caviar shop, and both detectives try the caviar. There responses are predictable.

Ben is now a suspect. The murder weapon is determined to be a pillow: the victim was smothered to death. The pillow is found in the victim's daughter's room, so it looks like she did it. Van Buren interviews her, and she breaks down. Southerlyn talks to the family lawer, who was jogging during his first meeting with the detectives earlier in the ep and is now riding his bike while talking to Southerlyn.

So what about a motive? Well, the victim's daughter and son-in-law wanted to adopt a Chinese baby, but the victim didn't want that adoption to happen. They arrest the victim's daughter, Roys. (33 mins) Roya is represented by recurring lawyer Professor Norman Rothenberg, who is great. Apparently, Roya confessed to her rabbi, but this confession is considered privileged. Skoda talks to Roya, and she breaks down when discussing her dad's opposition to the adoption. She is also angry because prior to his marrying the new wife, she was more like the wife around the house, and she's no longer the favored female. But, at trial, Roya's husband takes the stand and confesses, and Roya is found not guilty as the husband is carried away.

This episode is a stupid waste of time. The writers pretty much just phoned this one in, and it seems like a missed opportunity, given that it is Briscoe's second-to-last episode.

The episode's title is a play on the phrase "Caveat Emptor," which is Latin for "let the buyer beware."

Posted by adm at June 12, 2004 07:52 PM

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